Obesity and Type II diabetes are quickly becoming an epidemic in the United States. The increased incidence of these conditions has been attributed to diets characterized by high fat intake and repeated ingestion of refined foods and sugars, coupled with low fiber and vegetable intake. While obesity may be linked to lifestyle habits, obesity also impacts, and is impacted by, human physiology and neurology. A myriad of genetic, neurological, and other unknown factors are also likely to play a role in the development of obesity. While two thirds of the world's population is defined as overweight, obesity related illnesses are rapidly becoming the leaders in the world's most lethal diseases. For example, about 97 million adults in the United States are overweight, of which over 40 million are classified as obese. General obesity, known as adiposity, greatly increases the risk of many diseases such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea and other respiratory problems, and endometrial, breast, prostate, and colon cancers. Also, people with higher than normal body weights suffer from a higher than normal early death rate. According to the National Institutes of Health, each year about 280,000 adult deaths in the United States may be attributed, in part, to obesity. Many treatments for the management of weight and obesity and the maintenance of weight loss exist. In fact, approximately, 40 percent of women and 24 percent of men are trying to actively lose weight at any given time. These treatments are numerous and include all sorts of diets, increased physical exercise, behavioral therapies, dietary supplementation, pharmacotherapy, hypnotherapy, surgery, or combinations of the above.
One such treatment involves the use of chemical compounds that inhibit absorption of nutrients, such as fats or carbohydrates, as an approach to reducing caloric intake. Other compounds simply work to stimulate metabolic rate through enhanced thermogenesis. However, the safety and efficacy of long-term administration of many weight loss compounds are simply unknown. Moreover, history has shown that certain biological pathways, for example, stimulating thermogenesis with compounds like ephedra or Phen-Fen®, may not be the best approach.
An additional avenue to target obesity entails the use of supplements and pharmaceuticals that target weight loss. These supplements and pharmaceuticals target appetite or satiety by using chemical messengers such as neuropeptides, CCK, Obestatin, Ghrelin, Enterostatin, Bombesin, CRF or many others. More recently the proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARγ) system has evolved as a novel approach to weight loss and adipocyte differentiation. Other weight loss systems focus on regulating adipose hormones such as leptin, thyroid production, fatty acid synthase, or uncoupling certain proteins. The biological pathways involved in these regulation systems are complex and often redundant. Moreover, the body counteracts impacts on these regulation systems as it strives for homeostasis. Therefore, what is needed is a dietary supplement that is safe and effective at targeting weight loss.
One potential effective dietary supplement may be derived from the aronia fruit, which is one of the world's more obscure fruits. Aronia contains a dense concentration of anthocyanins, which are aqueous pigments that may appear as a variety of colors including, red, purple, or blue. They belong to a parent class of molecules called flavonoids, which are known for their powerful antioxidant potential. Anthocyanins occur in all tissues of higher plants, including leaves, stems, roots, flowers, and fruits. The aronia plant, which grows in areas of high UV concentrations, has developed defense mechanisms, such as phenolic anthocyanins, to help protect the plant from high UV radiation. As such, the aronia plant boasts one of the highest concentrations of antioxidant capacity. Moreover, research has shown aronia extracts to be potentially effective at reducing cardiovascular disease as well as improving muscle recovery. Aronia has also been shown to normalize the carbohydrate metabolism in diabetic rats as well as suppress the growth of certain cancer cells in rats. However, aronia's effects on adipose tissue are largely unknown. Additionally, the concentrations of anthocyanins from aronia that will promote weight less have previously been unknown. It is therefore desirable to provide a dietary supplement composition containing an aronia extract to promote weight loss and fat management as well as other health benefits.